Kung Hei Fat Choy - and UFOs

Kung Hei Fat Choy - Happy Niu Year - the Year of the Ox. (Niu is Ox - so apparently, this year, every one is wishing each other the equivalent of Happy Gnu Year in bad puns. A gnu, as you know, is a horse, designed by a committee. No gnus is good gnus, I suppose.)

Yes, this is the new year on the chinese calendar, and being based on the Lunar cycle, shifts around from year to year. Those of us in the west are largely fascinated with the idea of a cycle of years that are associated with animals, although the choice of animals is a little baffling to our western sensibility. Last year was, for instance, the year of the rat - and lets face it - what good can come from a rat?

This month's Contest Question asks what your new year's resolution is - and reading the answers is fascinating. A lot of you are resolving to tackle the number of UFO's you have - that's UnFinished Objects. Projects started and not completed. I have a number of those myself. I know from experience that I need to finish a project quickly, otherwise, I mentally move on and lose interest. Sometimes, of course, I need to find the part to complete it. You know, when you need the right end cap or clasp to finish it off. I have two of those on the table right now!

One of them - on the right - was supposed to be an inspiration - but I needed a clasp. I put the two in a baggy and went down to the store, found clasps I need, and brought them all home, put them on the table, and moved on to other things. There's always a good reason, you know!

And then - I have drawers full of "projects not started yet." Bead sets and colours that I think are inspiring, that I have bagged together, with an eye to "doing something." I must have dozens of those! If I count those - well - that's really depressing!

So - for this new year - for those of us who resolve to finish the projects we start - we are a mighty force! Let neither snow nor sleet nor petty interruptions stay us from our goal of finishing our projects! We will prevail. We will take up beading needles and wire cutters! We will forge mighty new jewelry links! We will bead on the buses and on the beaches! We will take our projects to work and tackle them at lunch - thereby sucking our co-workers into our addiction. We will make the time to finish those projects! We will make the gifts we intend to make, in time for the celebration they were supposed to be gifts for! We will never surrender - We are beaders - hear us roar!

;-)

Happy Niu Year! And may you always find time to finish your projects!